Who sent Taylor Swift the initial instrumental for “august”?

Jack Antonoff sent Taylor Swift the initial instrumental for “august.”

Antonoff produced the instrumental first and forwarded it to Swift, who wrote the lyrics “on the spot,” according to the song’s documented creation story. Their process was part of the rapid, intuitive collaboration behind Folklore.

Swift and Antonoff had worked together on songs for earlier albums, including 1989, Reputation, and Lover. For Folklore, they collaborated remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Antonoff contributing to several tracks and Swift shaping the fictional narratives and lyrics.

Joe Alwyn was also credited as a producer on “august” under the pseudonym William Bowery, but the question asks who sent the initial instrumental. Aaron Dessner was another important Folklore collaborator, yet he was not the person identified with this specific instrumental-development detail.